The former military chief, who has led the junta that rules Thailand since May 2014, has decided to embrace social media.

Since Sunday, a personal website for the country's political chief has been launched, as have Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Prayuth , it seems, is remaking his image.

And he has asked to hear directly from Thais about the problems they are facing in their daily lives - the better to try and solve them.

Coming from a military leader who has not tolerated public criticism, banned social media campaigning by political parties and who has had a penchant for lengthy, televised, one-way Friday night speeches that cut across normal TV programming (and bored people so much that after a year or so he promised to cut the addresses down to 30 minutes) the move jars, to put it mildly.

As the country inches towards democratic elections set down for February 2019, Prayuth is playing his cards close to his chest in a "will he or won't he stand?" game.

He has been dropping ever larger hints that he plans to contest the much-delayed national election, while the country's newish constitution (which he engineered) offers several "democratic" pathways for him to hang on to the prime ministership.

In simple terms, Prayuth could stand for parliament and win a majority of seats; or, he could not stand for election, but be nominated from outside the parliament (either as a candidate for one of the parties or not) and secure support to continue in the job at a joint sitting of all 750 lower and upper house MPs.

Depending on the circumstances, either a 50 per cent plus one majority, or a two-thirds majority would be required for the "parachuted into the prime ministership" scenario to play out.

Given that the 250 member Senate is appointed, not elected, Prayuth's allies won't even necessarily have to win a majority in the lower house to ensure he stays on as PM.

In short, the current PM appears to have no plans to let loose his hold on power.

And his sudden foray into social media appears to be designed to soften his image - and put a new, more cuddly face on a military government.

As Human Rights Watch's Thailand representative Sunai Phasuk puts it: "It is clear that Prayuth has political ambitions to continue as prime minister after the election in February".

"All political parties have been prohibited from using social media from campaigning in any form, even as the country moves closer to elections. Parties aren’t allowed to do that, they can’t raise funds. But Prayuth is doing that and doing it with Thai taxpayers’ money."

"This is more evidence, more proof that Thailand won’t have free and fair elections."

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are hugly popular in Thailand, and therefore consequential in the coming election.

Prayuth's message that if people have concerns, they can reach him directly is designed to soften public perceptions.

"Previously, it is always a monologue, a one-way message. Now he seems ready to listen," is how Sunai puts it.

Ordinary Thais could be forgiven for being a little sceptical.